Note: I've done this kind of thing before, and it made me look stupid, but hear me out!

Yesterday I wrote about the need for true second line talent. I finished the post by asking what players the Senators should target either through free agency or trade. Apparently I should have given another option-- is there an internal solution for the Sens?

Turns out most of the commenters on yesterday's blogs would have chosen this third option, naming promising prospects such as Mark Stone, Jakob Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad as potential players who could fill that role. Some suggested Bobby Butler may rediscover his scoring touch, or that Peter Regin would be capable of being healthy for more than 10 games, and would contribute.

Most, however, suggested Nick Foligno was already that guy, true second line talent. Many were quick to point out that Nick's points per 60 minutes of ice time were behind only Jason Spezza for the team lead. Yet some (like Mark) pointed out that while his point totals were solid for a second line player, Foligno didn't give the impression that he was a true top-six player.

I decided to dig just a little bit to explain this discrepancy. He put up top six numbers, point wise, but rarely seemed to create much in the way of offence on this ice.

The first thing I found was that Nick Foligno finished tied for second in the league (behind only Milan Michalek) with 4 empty net goals. Which, when you consider he only scored 15 goals this season, is quite a serious percentage that inflates his totals a bit.

In addition, the same Behind the Net website that provides fans with his 2.4 points/60 minutes of ice time also provides fans with the ability to see that he also lead the team with 0.68 secondary assists per 60 minutes of ice time. The next closest regular player is Erik Karlsson, way down at 0.52.

So, while his numbers were good, they are slightly skewed. Now, thats not to say that empty net goals and secondary assists are unimportant. The empty net goals help to put the team ahead for good, and its important to notice that he was trusted by Paul MacLean to be out in the dying minutes of a hockey game. In addition, while secondary assists are sometimes just as important as the primary assist, they sometimes mean a player really didn't factor in on the goal. Nick does have quite a high ratio of them and that tells me he's not often the one who is making the plays.

So even in a career year for Nick Foligno, his numbers were skewed by secondary assists and empty net goals. If he doesn't get those empty netters, and only scores 11 goals on the season, is that what we are looking for from a top-6 player?

I don't think so.

Links after the jump, and then you may attack me, but before you do, know that I like Nick Foligno! I think he's a solid player, I just think he's suited to third line duty on a team with any sort of aspirations.

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People are already talking about what implications these playoffs will have on the rest of the NHL. The league is, after all, notoriously a copy-cat league, so whatever works this season will be attempted by other teams next season. People talk about the shot-blocking we've seen from teams like the Rangers and Capitals, and the goaltending we've seen from the Coyotes and Kings.

For me though, what the two teams that remain have in common is the All-Star power on their second lines. The true second line contributing talent.

The Kings of course are using the former heart of the Flyers, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, to form their second line. Both are first line players on almost any team in the league, but together with a recharged Dustin Penner they are an important piece of the puzzle for the Kings playing on the second line. This is only made possible of course by having the Anze Kopitar-Dustin Brown line playing top minutes.

For the Devils, they are able to put together a mega line when needed, but often Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise have been playing separately, giving the Devils balanced scoring.

Now its not groundbreaking to say having good players on your second line helps you win games, but these playoffs are really showing it. The Senators iced a second line of Nick Foligno, Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson for the majority of the season. If Alfie can play the way he can, and Turris can grow, that line still needs another scorer, especially because the top line has proven they cannot carry this team themselves.

So, what players are available, either on a team with cap issues or are a free agent themselves that you think could help the Senators ice a truly talented second line?

Links after the jump

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Colour me as one of the fans most excited when, on day two of last June's NHL entry draft, Bryan Murray was somehow able to snag talented Russian prospect Nikita Filatov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He left his family vacation in the Caribbean to come meet with coaches and management and to come to a rookie development camp that he was not obligated to attend.

He came to training camp saying all the right things, happy to be there. He dazzled in the first few preseason games, showing a skating ability that was even better than I could have hoped for. He set up a beautiful Chris Neil goal in a preseason game against Toronto, and despite playing well and having chances on the top line with Jason Spezza, he was unable to score.

Once the season started, things got strange. Filatov was often a healthy scratch and it appeared that head coach Paul MacLean was unhappy with him. When asked about it, coach said other players were improving everyday in practice and Nikita was not.

Eventually Filatov was sent to the minors and played inconsistently. At times, he had no equal on the ice and could score at will. Other times, he was just ok. After putting up 12 points in 15 games with Bingo, he asked to be able to head home to Russia to play in the KHL where he could make more money for his family. The Senators loaned him the CSKA Moscow and he finished his season there.

In recent weeks, we've seen quotes from Pierre Dorian that indicate that the organization is undecided with what to do with Filatov. He still possesses a great skating ability, and good hands. In pre-season he even showed a penchant for back checking with that great speed. Yet he has never put it all together. So, will we ever see him again?

Links after the jump

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I truly believe that even in defeat, in 2007, Daniel Alfredsson deserved the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Call me biased if you want, but I think he should have. He led the playoffs in points, he had carried the team on his back at times, and of course scored the goal that sent the Sens to the finals. Not only that, but the Ducks were a "by committee" kind of team, and they didn't really have a single player very deserving of the honour.

I think that the player who has played the best in the playoffs, and helped his team to the finals and during them, ought to win the Conn Smythe regardless of the Stanley Cup winner. With that in mind, its important to consider players from both sides. Now, I know that performance IN the Finals is very important, but you can get an idea of what players are truly in contention.

With three teams left (Kings, Devils and Rangers) I will give my top three from each team.

LA Kings

1. Dustin Brown
2. Jonathan Quick
3. Anze Kopitar

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I wrote yesterday about prom and free agency. A strange combination for sure, but today I'll keep it a little more straight to the point. While it is unclear whether the Senators will be big players on July 1 (due to some Euge comments), one thing that can be sure is that the Senators will be picking 15th in the NHL's entry draft in June.

Now, the draft is a bit of a crapshoot, especially once you move out of the top ten. Last season, with the 6th overall pick, the Senators were assured a top prospect, and snagged Mika Zibanejad. This season, picking 15th, there is less certainty, but by no means is it unlikely that the Senators get an impact player.

For example, the last time the Senators picked 15th, they selected this semi-unknown defenseman named Erik Karlsson. Have you heard of him? I think he's doing pretty well. The time before that, they picked Matthew Chouinard, for either the first or second time, I can't remember. Needless to say, that pick didn't pan out.

For every Alexander Radulov, there's a Jesse Niinimaki. For every Alex Kovalev, there is a Jason Bowen. For every Joe Sakic, there is a Mark Pederson. For every Al MacInnis, there's a Jerry Dupont. My point is, there are some excellent players chosen at 15, and there are many I have never heard of.

Last year, the Rangers chose J.T Miller with their 15th overall pick, and he had a solid year playing for the Whalers of the OHL with Senators prospect Stefan Noesen. Miller was a point per game, two-way centre in the O this season.

Are there any players you hope the Sens grab at 15? Let us know in the comments below!

(for full list of players drafted at pick 15 since 1980, go here!)

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You are in your senior year. Face a little pockmarked. Kinda skinny, perhaps you recently got rid of your braces, but not everyone has noticed yet. You have a crush on THE GREATEST girl in school. She's smart, popular and very good looking. You decide that she is going to be your prom date, but you figure that for a girl like her, you need to do something drastic. So you get a romantic speech all prepared, make sure you look your best, make sure the fireworks are set on the timer, and you start walking towards her to ask. As you approach, what is that you see? Another guy brought an entire orchestra and is serenading her? Uh oh. Look at that, now she's going with him.

However, you've already told your buddies you are going to do something drastic to get a prom date today, and the fireworks are already set, so you do the only thing you can do to save face; you say the speech and set off the fireworks for the very next girl you see, regardless of the fact that she isn't actually your crush. You go to the prom, you have a fine time, but its not the same as you look over at orchestra boy having the night of his life.

This is, I imagine, how free agency goes. Every year, a team that promised its fans it will load up, misses out on the prized free agent and goes to plan B, and gives that player WAY more money than they should have gotten, just to ensure that they DO in fact get a date.

Last year, the belle of the ball was Brad Richards. Considering he is having a fantastic playoffs and his team is two wins away from the Stanley Cup final, I'd say that Orchestra-Boy Glen Sather is having a lovely time.

Brian Burke, however, who missed out on the Richards sweepstakes is slightly less excited about having Tim Connolly on his team. Tim, who has been notoriously injured for the last 5 years, got almost 10 million out of Burke on July 2nd last year. He proceeded to play in 70 games and put up just 36 points, and the Leafs missed the playoffs.

So who is it going to be this year? What player cashes in on a desperate team that missed out on Zach Parise or Ryan Suter? Its the summer time (can't you tell by the weird article today?) so humour me, and throw your predictions in the comments: who, where and for how much?

Links after the jump!

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A couple of weeks ago the Senators made a small move, resigning Peter Regin to a contract worth a little bit less than what he had previously been making. It is a one-way contract and if he gets himself healthy this summer, he should be in the lineup come October.

Where does he fit? With Jakob Silfverberg, Mark Stone and Mika Zibanejad all pushing for roster spots, not to mention the full roster the Sens had in the playoffs, is there a spot for Regin to play?

Regin should be in the prime of his career. He just turned 27 years old and has been in the league a couple of seasons now. He is a puck possession player with some defensive ability and decent playmaking ability. Outside of one hot streak a couple years ago in the playoffs, he has never put up big numbers at the NHL level. So where does he go?

Assuming Daniel Alfredsson is back and that at least one of the three rookies mentioned above make the team the depth chart probably looks like this:

Michalek -- Spezza -- Rookie

Foligno -- Turris -- Alfredsson

Greening -- Smith -- Neil

These nine are all locks. You also have Jim O'Brien, who played very well down the stretch. Bobby Butler is in the mix. Kaspars Daugavins got a good look this season and has value killing penalties, as does Erik Condra. Zenon Konopka played great in the playoffs and brings a strong face-off element. Not to mention any free-agents the Sens go after.

So where do you put Peter Regin?

Links after the jump.

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It seems to be a pretty consistent theme in sports. No matter how likeable a team is before your favourite team plays them in the playoffs, invariably you'll find two or three hundred reasons to hate them before the season is over. If you play teams in the playoffs frequently enough, you can never look favourably at those teams or those players ever again (see: Battle of Ontario, Gary Roberts, Toronto's hate for Alfie, many in Ottawa's dislike for Sidney Crosby, etc)

So, when the Senators went into battle in the first round agains the New York Rangers, I was a little bummed out. I kinda liked them, there gritty style, Ryan Callahan, the flash of Marian Gaborik, and of course King Henrik Lundqvist. Sadly, I knew that no matter what, if my Senators didn't make it out of the first round, I was going to be robbed of a team I'd otherwise likely cheer for.

Is that juvenile? Absolutely. Is it silly, for sure. However, I am a little bit (read; very) emotionally invested in my Senators, and as such build up these hateful feelings for opponents. I'm a sore loser.

However, there is an entirely separate school of thought on the issue. Some people actively cheer for the team that eliminated their favourite team, willing their former opponent to win it all, because at least if the Rangers win the cup, the Sens will have been beaten by the best.

I don't like this reasoning, for two reasons. Number 1, so many factors go in to winning a Stanley Cup. If the Rangers win it all, and the Senators had one just ONE MORE GAME agains the Rangers, would Ottawa have therefore won the cup? Not necessarily. Not even very likely. Between injuries, match-ups, fatigue, and luck from all teams involved, you'd be hard pressed to even say the "best" team wins the cup every year. Its simply the team that gets it done in the key moments, moments that are different for everybody, that gets to hoist the cup.

The second reason of course; I'm childish, and I refuse to cheer for the team that sent my guys home early.

What say you?

Links after the jump!

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Bobby Butler was signed by the Ottawa Senators in the spring of 2010. He was a hot shot sniper from New Hampshire of the NCAA and was added to a team that needed scoring depth up front. Alex Kovalev wasn't going to be around much longer, and it was unclear how much Daniel Alfredsson had in the tank. He played in one game before the end of the season and Sens fans were excited to see what the future held for Bobby.

He failed to make the team the following training camp, but went down to Binghamton to play for the baby Senators. He adjusted fairly well to the pro game putting up 22 goals and 33 points in the first 47 games of the season for Bingo. After the mass exodus that signalled the beginning of Senate Reform, Bobby was called up the the big team to play the remainder of the season. He did admirably and showed good chemistry with Jason Spezza, putting up 10 goals and 21 points in just 36 games. He finished off his very strong first pro season by winning the Calder Cup with Bingo, and adding 13 goals along the way.

Needless to say, fans were excited to see what he could do with a full season at the NHL level riding shotgun to Spezza. However, Butler had quite the sophomore slump. He had trouble staying in the line up and when he did get into the lineup, he often found himself in a 4th line role or was ineffectual on the top line. Whatever magic he had in 2010-2011 seemed to be gone. In the playoffs, he was sat in favour of new flavours Jakob Silfverberg and Mark Stone, two rising prospects who play the right side (like Butler) and who both had great seasons in their respective leagues.

So what now for Butler? He still has one year left on his 2 year 1-way contract extension from this past July, but is there really room for him with Silfverberg, Stone and Mika Zibanejad all pushing for NHL top-six spots? He certainly didn't forget how to play hockey, and he still possesses a release matched by only Kyle Turris. The question for Butler is can he find some consistency and some chemistry on one of the top two lines, and prove that he has the ability to play at the NHL level. If he can do that, it will allow Sens brass to bring other prospects along a bit slower, and will give Paul MacLean a weapon up front that he badly needs.

Links after the jump.

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Saturday night, the New York Rangers beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 in game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Final.

The got a huge opening goal from Brad Richards, last summer's top free agent. Richards, who recently turned 32, was awarded a nine year contract worth almost $60 million.

Last season, with ownership issues in Dallas, it became clear that the Stars would be unable to resign their top player, and the hunt was on. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames both made serious efforts to bring Richards into the fold, but in the end he chose to go back to coach John Tortarella with whom he won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is currently making Glen Sather look like a genius as he has led an offensively challenged Rangers team to the Conference Finals. The Rangers have averaged just 2.07 goals per game, putting them 11th of 16 playoff teams. The other conference finalists are all in the top 5. Richards himself has 6 goals and 5 assists, putting him 4th in the league in postseason scoring.

Ilya Kovalchuk, he of the record-setting, rule-breaking contract the summer before, is 3rd in the league in postseason scoring with 12 points.

This summer, Kovalchuk's teammate Zach Parise has the distinction of being top fish in the free agent pool like Richards and Kovalchuk before him. He is a game-breaking talent, the kind of player that 30 teams would do just about anything to have on their team. His leadership skills, competitive nature and intense battle level are the kinds of things you hope for in any player. However, the fact that he has been a 45 goal scorer in this league and this season managed to put up 31 goals and 69 points (all despite missing all of last season with a knee injury) make him a rare commodity indeed. Not to mention, as his knee continues to get better, one has to think he will get back to that 40 goal, 90 point range he has shown he is capable of.

All of this leads to one conclusion-- should the Devils find themselves in a position where they cannot afford to keep Parise, 29 other teams will take a run at him. One team will be successful, and will likely be very happy about it, even if their pockets are quite a bit lighter.

Liens après le saut!

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Kyle Turris is this high on our list for one reason:

The kid can flat out play.

Turris came to the Senators in a trade in December from the Coyotes under some interesting circumstances. After being the best Coyote on the ice in the team's playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings the spring before, Turris was facing the summer without a contract. Playing in Dave Tippett's system in Phoenix, Turris had learned to become a better two-way player. However, Tippett is a coach who notoriously relies on veteran players to get the job done, and Turris didn't know if the Coyotes were the best fit for him at that time. So he requested a change of scenery, and wouldn't sign a new contract in Phoenix.

Unfortunately for him, some in the media saw this as just another unproven, young kid who was holding out for more money. Thankfully for him, and the for the Senators, Bryan Murray did not see it that way. He saw a young player with tremendous skill who was being under-utilized in Phoenix. He swung a trade that sent fan favourite prospect David Rundblad and a second round pick to the Coyotes for Turris, and from there Turris proceeded to play quite well for the Senators. How good he CAN be remains to be seen.

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Jared Cowen will forever be linked to Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nazem Kadri by one of the coolest snippets ever caught on TSN cameras at the NHL draft. Brian Burke famously asked Bryan Murray if Murray planned on selecting the skilled centre out of London of the OHL with the 9th overall pick. When Murray said yes, Burke told him that he had planned on drafting Kadri with the 7th overall pick. Murray simply said "ok" and they went their separate ways.

True to his word, Burke selected Kadri and two picks later Bryan Murray picked the 6'5 220 lbs defenseman out of Spokane, Jared Cowen. It was seen by many as a potentially risky pick. After all, Cowen's talent was obvious, but he was coming off a very severe knee injury and subsequent surgery that ended his season early.

Two years later, Bryan Murray looks like a very smart man after Cowen put up a very respectable NHL rookie season.

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Started post-season Nuggets off the other day with a list of questions facing the Ottawa Senators as they head into the summer. Tried to touch on the biggest one, the Daniel Alfredsson situation, the other day, but today its time to look at a story that will affect considerably more than the immediate future for the Ottawa Senators; the contract that is to be given to Norris Trophy finalist Erik Karlsson.

The staggering numbers are things we've all heard before. 78 points lead all defenseman by an incredible 25 points. His 19 goals tied him for most from the back-end with Shea Weber, and 5 were game winners. His 59 assists were good for 3rd in the entire league, not to mention 10 more than any other blueliner. He finished a +16 while playing just over 25 minutes a night for a team that had a 5-on-5 goals for/against ratio of 1.05. He led defenseman in shots on goal with 261, and added another 31 on goal in just 7 playoff games. He led d-men in takeaways with 67, 16 more than Shea Weber.

Simply put, he was an absolute difference-maker for a team that desperately needed one. His style, which is so unique, caused teams to either make adjustments or risk getting burned.

So, with contract negotiations looming, what do you offer to your franchise blueliner if you are Bryan Murray? Do you give him Drew Doughty money, 7 million a year until 2019? Drafted in the same year, also nominated for a Norris Trophy once. Do you give him a comparable contract to Mike Green, 5.5 million per season? Green put up similar point totals (with less defensive ability and a better supporting cast) and was also nominated for a Norris. Do you give him a similar contract to Duncan Keith, 5.53 million all the way until 2023? Keith is a Norris trophy winner and the workhorse of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Personally, I think he deserves upwards of 6, 6.5 million on a 4-5 year deal, but I would love to see him take less for the team. He seems to love playing in Ottawa, where he is the next face of the franchise and he has a coach that lets him run free. The management seems to love Swedish players and have drafted quite a few of them to join Erik as the "new core", and the history is there with Alfie and the career he has had here in Ottawa.

What do you give him?

Links after the jump!

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Now that the Ottawa Senators Cinderella season has finally come to an end, questions abound. Will good soldiers Konopka and Carkner be back as both are free agents? Will Peter Regin (REMEMBER THAT GUY?!) be qualified as an RFA now that the Senators have reinforcements on the way? What kind of mega-deal will Norris nominee Erik Karlsson sign this summer? What will the goaltending situation look like next training camp with Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner battling it out? All of these questions will be looked at this summer by management and media alike. Heck, you will see many of them in this Nuggets feature.

The biggest question heading into next season for the Sens though, is none of the above. Its whether longtime captain and face of the franchise Daniel Alfredsson has finally had enough, and whether or not he will be back for another 82-game season. Whether he is ready for the grind, the summer workouts and whether he wants to finally spend more time with his wife Bibi and their 4 young kids.

Alfie has done the sensible thing and told the media that he is going to take the next little while to think it over with his family before deciding whether or not he is going to play next year. That hasn't stopped the media (and myself) from overanalyzing all of the available evidence looking for clues as to which way the captain is leaning.

Yesterday it came out that Alfie, he of the postseason concussion, had announced that he was going to play for Sweden in his 7th world championship. This year, the tournament is being held in Sweden, and the host nation is expected to ice a very strong team, with stars like Henrik Zetterberg and Erik Karlsson committed to going. This could be seen as a good sign for Sens fans. Alfie clearly must still have the desire to play, right? Alfie must not be having any lingering effects of his concussion, right? Right?

Well, maybe. However, before Senators fans get too excited, take a look at this quote:

"Being able to go back to the place where my career really started was a big part of the decision"

Seems innocuous enough right? Well yes and no. Alfredsson played in his first world championship in Stockholm in 1995, right before signing with the Senators. He scored an overtime winner against the Canadians in the semi-final. He said that going to this tournament also in Stockholm would be "like completing the circle". Pretty ominous, no?

Either way, should be excellent to see Alfie suit up and play for the Tre Kronor, especially with Karlsson and prospect Jakob Silfverberg committed to the team. Here's hoping he doesn't win, so that this isn't an "icing on the cake" moment.

One more year.

Links after the jump.

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Well, its now or never.

The Ottawa Senators have given the top seeded New York Rangers everything they can handle in this series. Tied at three games apiece there is one last game to be played in this series tonight at MSG.

There's not much to write that hasn't already been written. This series has been back and forth the whole way through. Not many goals to be had, the goaltending has been phenomenal. Henrik Lundqvist and Craig Anderson have really put on a show. Tonight, there are so many story lines, so many questions:

• Will the Rangers big guns be able to get it going at even strength? Haven't heard much from Marian Gaborik this series.
• WIll Erik Karlsson, fresh off his Norris nomination, be able to break through offensively and help the struggling Ottawa powerplay?
• Will Jason Spezza finally shoot the puck AND hit the net?! (ok, only kind of kidding here)
• Who will draw into the lineup? Will Konopka and Carkner play hurt? Will we see Silfverberg? Stone? Butler? Gilroy? Borowiecki? Will any of these players help make a difference?
• Will the grinders for the Senators continue to be the story? Konopka has had a great series, but Zack Smith, Jim O'Brien and of course, Chris Neil have all been lights out.
• Will Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh be able to continue to block the number of shots they have? Will the top line for the Senators be able to break through?
• And lastly, and most importantly, will this be the last time we ever see Daniel Alfredsson play in an Ottawa Senators uniform?

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Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final between the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers had some intrigue. WHL standout Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings made his NHL debut. There weren't huge expectations for the kid. Sure, he was great at the World Junior Championship for Canada, and sure he'd put up back to back 100+ point seasons in the WHL, but this was the Stanley Cup playoffs. Besides, he was lining up with Zenon Konopka and Jim O'Brien on the fourth line, so it was unlikely fans would see very much of him. There were rumblings he may get a shift on the power play, but that was it.

So, when less than ten minutes into his first NHL game he found himself on the ice with Ottawa's first line of Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza, he did what any rookie would do: made an all-world seam pass to set up Jason Spezza for what would prove to be the game winning goal. He played only 8:43 of time on the ice that night, and finished a +1 with no shots on net.

Normally that would be enough to stay in the lineup coming back to Ottawa for game 6. Sadly for Stone, Silfverberg fever had arrived on Sunday night. Paul MacLean was swept up by it and decided he was going to put "the best player in Sweden" into the game Monday night at home. Only thing was, the situation was much different. The hype surrounding Silfverberg was wild. His post practice media scrum (on the Senators website) was nearly twice as long as any of the other players. Longer even than MacLean's. A Swedish media crew flew over to be part of the post practice media. Not only that, but instead of the low expectations put on Stone, it was said outright that Silfverberg would be lining up as Spezza's triggerman on the first line.

The kid ended up playing 9:02, with one shot on goal and an even rating. He looked scared and overwhelmed at times, but you could tell he has good skills and strong instincts. According to Wham City at the 6th Sens, he was on for 2 scoring chances for the Senators at even strength, and none for the Rangers.

However, the Senators lost. Is that Silfverberg's fault? Most certainly not. While he took one of the Senators 7 minor penalties that cost the Sens in game six, it was a cheap call, and the Rags didn't capitalize.

MacLean has a choice to make. Either go back to Stone, give Silfver another shot now that he's had time to get a little more accustomed to Ottawa, or go with Bobby Butler, who played decently in his time in the line up.

For what it's worth (read: not very much), Corey Pronman, who writes for Hockey Prospectus and does prospect work for ESPN, thinks that Stone will eventually be a slightly better player than Jakob. RIght now, however, it's up to Paulrus. Its his choice to make.

Nichols of The 6th Sens said it best on on Twitter yesterday, though: if we are counting on either one of these kids to win us game seven, we have serious problems.

Links after the jump!

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Disclaimer: I am still very angry after last night's game.

With the Vancouver Canucks being eliminated on Sunday night after just 5 measly games against the Los Angeles Kings, there was left only one of the 7 Canadian teams still with any chance of winning the Stanley Cup: The Ottawa Senators.

This has lead some people to start draping the "Canada's team" moniker upon the Senators. Honestly, I cannot think of a bigger load of BS.

Last year, when the Canucks had their long run in the playoffs, and especially in the finals, I was very much in the minority of people I knew cheering for the Bruins. "How can you not cheer for Vancouver", people would ask, "They are from CANADA" as if I didn't know.

The reason they didn't get my support, is because I don't like the Canucks. I don't like Burrows. I don't like Lappiere. I don't like Bieksa. I don't like the diving and the whining. I don't like the way their fans scapegoat Roberto Luongo even when the Sedins fail to show up. On the other hand, I liked the Bruins. They played hard, physical, playoff hockey. Patrice Bergeron is wonderful to watch. Zdeno Chara gave my Sens many good years of service. Chris Kelly is a guy I can't help but root for.

"Where is this rant going Dave?" you find yourselves asking now. Quite simply this is my feeling on Canada's team. There is only one "Canada's team". That is TEAM CANADA. They play in the Olympics, the World Juniors, the Spengler Cup and the World Championship. They do not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Now I'm no hockey hipster, I am not against other teams fans jumping on the Senators bandwagon, honestly I am not. I think hockey games are more fun when you want one team to win more than the other. It gives you that emotional, vested interest.

However, I would like fans to get on the Ottawa bandwagon for the right reasons. Because you want to see Daniel Alfredsson win with the city that loves him so much. Because you can't hep but cheer for Jason Spezza, chronic whipping-boy-of-the-media-turned-leader. Because like so many, you've fallen in love with the smooth skating and supreme skill of Erik Karlsson. Because rooting for the team that the media wrote off before it played a single game is fun. Because you are becoming enamoured with Paul MacLean's no-nonsense, one day at a time attitude.

So please, if you are a fan of another team who have the misfortune of being out of the playoffs, cheer for the Senators, we are a hard working, honest bunch. But please, please do not call us "Canada's Team".

End Rant.

Links after the jump.

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Well this is fun, isn't it?

The Ottawa Senators have managed to defy the experts once again. As of this morning, they are leading their Eastern Conference Quarter Final match up with the New York Rangers 3-2. The go ahead win came Saturday night on the back of a 41 save performance by Craig Anderson. The Sens were able to get an early goal from Jason Spezza (who also got the empty net goal) and that was all they needed.

After surrendering 4 goals in MSG in game 1, the Rags have fired 126 shots on net since that night, yet have only managed 5 goals. 5. In 4 games. That's all. That's a 0.960 SV%. His 0.943 overall playoff SV% is comparable to Pekka Rinne's 0.944, and that guy just ended the Detroit Red Wings' season.

Coming into these playoffs, Anderson was a bit of an unknown entity. He had only one playoff series under his belt, with an upstart young Colorado Avalanche team in 2010. While his team fell to a heavily favoured San Jose team, they managed to take the series to six games, and Andy put up a 0.933 save percentage. He did his part, but his team was overmatched.

This year, heading into the 1 vs 8, one of the main reasons experts gave the edge to the Rangers was because of Henrik Lundqvist, and deservedly so. Hank is likely the Vezina winner, if not runner up. He's posted a 0.945 save percentage these playoffs, and has made some amazing timely saves. With a goalie like Hank, this is almost expected. The only chance the Sens had in this series was for Anderson to equal Henrik, and steal a few games. He's done that.

In a wonderful spot on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, Anderson's focus was highlighted, showing him on the ice first, before the zambonis were finished surfacing, and showing him in his zone in the dressing room before the game. One thing is for sure, when Anderson is on his game, he really embodies the identity of the team. He's a gamer. He's a battler, and he's ultra competitive. He's also, for now, being underrated by the rest of the league as well as by the "experts". This allows him to do what the Sens have done all year: Surprise opponents.

Here's hoping he continues to do so.

Links after the jump!

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Not many pundits gave the Ottawa Senators much of a chance in their 1 vs. 8 Eastern Conference Quarter Final matchup against the New York Rangers.

The Rangers sat in first place in the east for most of the season, and were a legitimate threat to win the President's Trophy as the league's top team. They have probably the best goalie in the world in Henrik Lundqvist. They have probably the best pure shut down d-pairing in the league with Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh. They have last summer's top free agent all-star and former Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards to set up 40 goal sniper Marian Gaborik.

By comparison, the Ottawa Senators were supposed to be a team in a rebuilding, re-tooling year. They have an unproven playoff goaltender in Craig Anderson. They have an aging Captain Daniel Alfredsson and "playoff underachiever" Milan Michalek up front. They do have Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson, but the Rangers team defence was expected to contain those two players.

Yet here we are, the morning of game 5, the Senators have yet to hold a lead in any of the games this series, and we are all square at two games each. In a season that started with such low expectations, this is pure gravy for Sens fans. The season (in my opinion) has to be considered a huge success, regardless of the outcome of the next few games.

The question has to be asked however, the longer this series goes, do the conditions favour a Senators win? Much has been made by players and writers about the "pressure" factor. The Rangers were supposed to have a cake-walk in the first round, but instead have been outplayed in 3 of 4 games. Heading back to MSG, there has to be more pressure on the home team, right? Well, maybe. That is hard to quantify. What isn't hard to quantify however, is fatigue.

John Tortorella is a good coach. He knows how to get the most out of his players. What he also does, is lean heavily on his best players, and at some point, one has to wonder if that will start to affect their performance.

Dan Girardi has played 28:31 per game through the first 4 games. Not only that, but they have been HARD minutes, with 22 blocked shots. His partner, Ryan McDonagh, is much the same; 26:20 per game and 13 blocked shots, including one off the collarbone region in overtime in game 2. In Ottawa, Paul MacLean did his best to send the Chris Neil, Zack Smith and Colin Greening line out against the Rags big pair to make sure the two of them took some hits. Looking at the forwards, Ryan Callahan has played an insane 22:46 per game, which is 8th in the league among forwards, but he plays 2:00 more PK time a game than any player ahead of him in total TOI.

In addition to leaning heavily on his big horses, Tortorella has also refused to play his 4th liners. Chris Kreider, Mike Rupp and John Mitchell have all played less than 8 minutes a game, the latter two playing 5 minutes or less. Stu Bickel, the Rangers 6th d-man, has played a pitiful 5:48 per game-- last among all d-men to play 4 games and less than half of second last Deryk Engelland.

By comparison, the Senators have no player playing fewer minutes per game than Jim O'Brien's 7:39. Next among players playing all 4 games is Erik Condra, playing 11:44. The difference is shocking.

So the question remains, will the big horses for the Rangers be able to keep up their level of play with the high number of tough minutes? Or will the Senators be able to outlast New York and take over this series as it progresses.

I guess we will see.

Links after the jump!

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This isn't your Adnan Nuggets folks. Disclaimer, love for Konopka and Carkner ahead.

I thought for a while to write about the Turrific (ya, bad. I'm sorry) wrist shot that won us the game last night. Then I thought back a to a little earlier in the game to a thought I had. I said to my buddy. "if the Sens win this game, and even if they don't, no way you can take Konopka and Carkner out of the lineup going back to MSG".

Down the stretch at the end of the regular season, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that both Matt Carkner and Zenon Konopka had played their last games with the Senators. There simply wasn't room in the lineup for their skill set. We play a puck possession game under MacLean, and they didn't appear to fit in.

After last nights game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final, they have clearly cemented themselves in the lineup. They have been wonderful for the Sens, doing the little things, the simple things, and winning puck battles all over the ice. You would be hard pressed to find a player that skated harder than Zenon Konopka last night. Not only that, but he played 12:07 including 2:59 shorthanded. He was 73% on the draws, easily the best in the game, and won 83% of draws in the Senators defensive zone. His leadership in cooling down Nick Foligno after that late game penalty cannot be overlooked either. If Nick gets an extra 2 minutes there, the game could be over.

Matt Carkner played 12:31 and was very strong in his minutes. He made a wonderful play on the Michalek goal that started the comeback and gave the Senators strong minutes every time he was on the ice.

The reason these guys have played minutes over flashier players is simple: to beat the Rangers, you have to outwork them. You have to go to the dirty areas on the ice, and make simple plays, or risk being exploited by the great defence of the Rangers.

Something that you cannot quantify though, is the effect these guys have on the dressing room and on their teammates. Now personally, like my Nugget predecessor, I enjoy skilled players. However, guys like Carkner, Konopka, and Neil, that will literally go through a wall and bleed for their teammates, help bring a club together. They help set the tone. They cheer on the team when they aren't in the lineup and leave everything on the ice when they do get a chance to play.

I didn't love the Konopka signing in the summer, and I'm not sure if either of these guys will get contracts in the off-season, but right now, the team needs them in the line-up because they are helping them win. You can tell how much they mean to the team. The video in this article by Mark, says it all.

Links after the jump!

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For those of you who read the Nuggets yesterday or have been following along, I mentioned that Brynäs of the SEL had a chance to finish off its championship series against Skellefteå yesterday. This is of course notable for the Senators because prized prospect Jakob Silfverberg is the captain of Brynäs and many Senator fans are anxious to have him come over to North America to join the big club when his season in Sweden is finished.

For the one or two of you who are not sure what the big deal is about this kid, let me give a quick summary. He is 21 years old, 6" 190lbs and a second round selection of the Senators from the 2009 draft (39th overall). He is a smart, two-way right winger who oozes potential and leadership qualities- at 21 years old he is the captain of his SEL club. He possesses a wonderful release, and scored his way to an SEL MVP award in the regular season after putting up 24 goals and 54 points in 49 games this season. He has followed that up in the playoffs by tying Daniel Alfredsson's 2004 record 12 goals (so far) while leading Brynäs to a 3-2 series lead in the finals.

Needless to say, he has had quite the season, and people are starting to notice. Senators brass made it known before the season after development camp that they were interested in Silfverberg staying in North America this season, and have made it known that should he become available, they may bring him over as a black ace.

With Paul MacLean announcing yesterday that Daniel Alfredsson had suffered a setback, all eyes were on game 5 of the SEL finals, and when the game ended 3-2 Skellefteå (despite a Silfver goal) twitter was all abuzz about Jakob and how upset everyone was that we must wait longer for him to come over.

Twitterberg

I myself asked @SteffeG (a MUST follow for all Senators SEL news) if he thought Silfverberg would be alright to step right in and he replied "I think there would be some trouble, but I think it's worth the risk. But will be tough for him."

Clearly the Senators have a wonderful prospect in Silfverberg, and he has already got a great number of Sens fans excited. The question is, if Brynäs can win Thursday, and if the Sens can extend their series beyond 5 games, could we see Silfverberg make his debut? Would it be crazy to put a kid into that kind of situation? Is he an upgrade over other options available to Paul MacLean considering he has limited small-ice experience? One thing is for sure, it will be a cool storyline to follow, and sooner or later, Silfverberg will be in an Ottawa jersey.

Links after the jump!

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First off, you may notice that under the byline for Silver Nuggets today, it doesn't say "Adnan". It also doesn't say "Peter Toomanyvowels" or Mark or Darren. It says Dave Young. For the foreseeable future, your daily Nuggets of Senators news/joy will be delivered by me. I am incredibly excited to write more than the occasional piece for this blog, and hope you guys don't see too much of a drop off from the incredible job Adnan has been doing. If you could help a (Sens) brother out, let me know in the comments or on Twitter what it is you'd like to see from this feature, or send me stories you think the Silver Seven community must see.

I experienced the joy/despair of voyaging down from school in Kingston back home to see one heck of a game last night. The Senators battled and truly played a solid game, outshooting and out-chancing the Rangers. Amazing goaltending on both ends, but in the end the big story was King Henrik Lundqvist. He stole game 3 in a way only the best goalie in the world can. I was sitting in Section 315, right directly up behind King Henrik and had a wonderful view of the Senators offensive zone for two periods. As such, it became incredibly apparent what insane dedication the Blueshirts have to keeping Senators out of the slot, and how willing they were to get in the shooting lanes all night long.

As you can see above in the shot chart, there is a large empty area between the hash marks of the New York zone. Some of that has to do with active sticks keeping the Sens from being able to carry the puck into that area, but much of it has to do with the incredible shot blocking of the Rangers. Dan Girardi leads the NHL with 17 blocked shots (next highest is 12- Willie Mitchell) and has 11 more than any Senator (6- Sergei Gonchar (!)).

It seems when New York does this Paulrus is content to send guys to the front of the net for traffic and to send shot after shot after shot from the blue line. Erik Karlsson leads the Senators with 18 shots (he is third in the league among all players), twice as many as second place Jason Spezza. It worked in game two, with the game-tying goal and game winning goal both coming from right in front of the net, but in game three, the bounces didn't go Ottawa's way.

If the Senators plan on coming back in this series, they need to find a way to break through the defensive effort of the Rangers and find a way to get to the scoring areas on the ice, or else they will be at the mercy of puck bounces for better or for worse.

After the jump I give you your Senator-loving goodness in the form of many many links.

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"This is a man's league, and he's still a boy."

-Jacques Martin

And so began a roller coaster relationship between Jason Spezza and the National Hockey League. A sensation in the Toronto area from a young age, Spezza had been in the spotlight for a long time by the time he was drafted and coming to an organization in Canada did not stop that spotlight. A funny thing about spotlights, if you are under one long enough, people are going to find something they don't like about you.

For Jason, early on, Jacques Martin wasn't exactly enamoured with his defensive zone play. Scouts weren't enamoured with his long, gangly, bent over skating stride. Last, but CERTAINLY not least, certain vocal fans on call-in radio were turned off by the no-look passes that occasionally created beautiful chances... for the other team.

After the jump, a look at how he has progressed since the early days, and an indication that his image may be changing for the better.

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When the NHL All-Star weekend wraps up Sunday night at Scotiabank Place, the Ottawa Senators will be facing the last 30 games of their season. They currently sit sixth in the Eastern Conference with 60 points. Toronto, Florida and New Jersey are all five points back of the Sens. However, Florida and Jersey have four games in hand and Toronto has three.

The moral of the story is the Sens are a serious bubble team at this point. This has many fans almost giddy that a team that experts picked to be in the basement has a fighting chance of making the playoffs, but it creates quite the situation for Bryan Murray and the rest of management come February 27^th.

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The Ottawa Senators decided to end their three game slide with a 3-2 overtime win in upstate New York against the Buffalo Sabres.

Ottawa got off to a great start very early. After a great play in the neutral zone, Jason Spezza made an even better pass to Milan Michalek for his 19^th of the season. The Sens continued to outplay the Sabres for most of the first period, and then a familiar story played out. With six minutes remaining in the frame, a proverbial clustertruck occurred between Nick Foligno, Erik Karlsson and Chris Phillips that lead to Paul Szczechura's game-tying goal. Not longer than a minute later, the Sens were looking at a 2-1 deficit after a David Rundblad error led to a Tyler Ennis goal. So, despite outshooting Buffalo 13-12 in the first, the Sens went into the intermission 2-1.

The second period was back and forth but the major event to note was a collision between Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek. While initially Karlsson seemed to be worse for wear, he stayed in the game, but Michalek was the player that wasn't seen for the rest of the game. He left with what's being called an upper body injury. Colin Greening had the two best chances of the period, shooting the puck off the post on a clear break, and nearly squeaking a puck under Miller on the power play. Greening had 6 (SIX) shots on goal in the period. Shots at the end of the second were 29-23 in favour of the Sens.

The first ten minutes of the third was all Senators as they pressed hard for the equalizing goal. They got it nine minutes into the third when Brian Lee made a great play and Peter Regin fired an absolute BOMB with Nick Foligno screening in front to tie the game 2-2. With what is becoming a trend when the Sens play this season, overtime was needed. End of the third period, Sens had a 42-29 advantage in shots.

As was well deserved, Sens got the win with Jared Cowen converting a great Karlsson feed in overtime.

After the jump we look at Sens Heros, Zeros and a terrible Killer

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The Ottawa Senators came out with their skating legs in this tilt tonight against the Calgary Flames and were rewarded with a 3-1 victory.

The first period featured no scoring, but it did feature more than a couple good scoring chances on both sides. Craig Anderson stood tall and made some very key saves early in tight, but Miikka Kiprusoff was just as sharp at the other end, making 14 saves in the first frame.

The second period continued the fast pace of the first period. Zenon Konopka got himself into his customary fight, and got a few real good shots in on Tom Kostopolous. The fight seemed to inspire Konopka's teammates to join him in the penalty box (hey, he's great in the room, guys like being around him). The Senators had to fight off Calgary's terrifying home powerplay (no seriously, it's terrifyingly bad. 5.9%). The big 5-on-3 kill led into a powerplay that generated some chances but couldn't capitalize.

During final couple minutes of the second period the game started getting crazy. Jason Spezza (who had a solid game and was really skating well) had a brain cramp that caused him to make a beautiful pass to a man in a red sweater. Anderson stopped the ensuing breakaway while Spezza hustled back to try to break up the play. Then Daniel Alfredsson scored a beautiful goal, and it looked like the Sens would head into the intermission up 1-0. Alfie scored again just seconds later, but on his own net after Anderson MISplayed the puck and Kostopoulos' shot deflected off the Sens' captain's stick. With shots 28-23 in favour of the Flames, the second intermission was upon us.

The third period was highlighted by Bobby Butler's GORGEOUS first goal of the season. After sneaking by Jay Bouwmeester, Butler undressed Mark Giordano and absolutely rifled a shot high glove side on Kipper. He then decided that just one wasn't enough, and he ripped a second shot, this time low stick side on a 3-on-2. Game. Set. Match.

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After Saturday's shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Ottawa Senators' record sits at 7-7-1. They sit seventh in the Eastern Conference (though almost all teams behind them have games in hand). 

Certain players have blown us away with how well they have played so far and the whole team has been a pleasant surprise. Sergei Gonchar has nine points in 14 games after a tough start. Filip Kuba has already matched his goal output from last year and is the only Sens defenceman to be on the positive side of the plus/minus category. Chris Neil is playing his most effective hockey in years and has put up good numbers, making him a very effective player game in and game out. Milan Michalek is second in the league in goals and looks like a man possessed to start the year. The list goes on and on.

Noticeably absent from this list, though, is our de facto top-six forward: Nick Foligno.

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I think I speak for all Sens fans when I say... WOOOOOOOO!!!!

The Ottawa Senators finally pulled out a win, giving head coach Paul MacLean his first National Hockey League victory in his third game as the Sens bench boss. Once again, however, this game was for sure an interesting one, with a wild (pun!) finish, and an exciting third period.

The Sens came out flying. I'm unsure if they were playing well, or if the Minnesota Wild just looked tired after playing against the Islanders the night before. Regardless, less than six minutes into this game, the home team held a 10-2 lead in shots. 

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